Today's highlights:

• Woke up, despite wanting to sleep some more.
• Left work a bit earlier than usual. Noticed iPod boy's (DJ) car in the driveway. I think one of his daughters has soccer practice in the mornings.
• Walked in and said good morning to DJ, curly girl, and the controller's assistant. Deliberately ignored blabber girl. Mind you, everyone in our area seems to do so.
• DJ asked me how my weekend went. I told him I was busy packing and getting a number of things done before my technical writing conference. Ever since I said a few words in a Minnesotan accent, he can't stop doing the same thing. I've created a monster.
• He spent the weekend shovelling rocks around his above-ground pool in his backyard. He bought way too many rocks.
• I spent the morning burning CDs and editing a pocket-sized guide for first-line technical support. I guess saying that it's a reference guide would be more accurate.
• I burned three CDs for the sales coordinator. She thanked me.
• Gave three CDs to DJ. He thanked me for them and said that he would be leaving for him nutrition appointment soon. He looked at what I was holding in my hand just after he had asked if I was going out for lunch. I told him that I was heating up my lunch. I asked if he was leaving soon. He had to call to confirm his appointment.
• DJ left at around 14:00. He said, "See ya," which isn't what he normally uses.
• I've got more release notes to do. I'm getting swamped with work that needs to be completed.
• I left work at 17:00. The president's son (PS) followed. We got in my car and drove off.
• Drove downtown. Traffic was lighter than normal. Parked in the lot that accepts credit cars, backed into what is becoming my regular spot, and then headed to The Bifthéque for dinner. PS was a copycat and went for the grilled chicken penne. Sadly, he couldn't pronounce it. I decided to change my order and went with the ground steak. That was terrific, although there was more pepper in there than I would have liked.
• We had to return to my car to drop off PS's dinner leftovers. We proceeded down to the Air Canada Centre. We had floor tickets. There was a special gate for us.
• Security was tight. Everyone was patted down. We then got in the venue and had green wristbands on. I got a nice brown t-shirt that must have Lycra in it, for it was stretchy. We then headed to the floor and sat down.
• Opening the show was The Red Romance, a group from New York City. The lead singer seemed appreciative that we came out to see them. He said that we were nice and that not everyone in NYC is nice. That's strange. I find New Yorkers to be pretty nice these days.
• PS wasn't sure that he could stand for the entire night. I decided to have us sit down for the opening act and then get up when the Killers were on. That worked out well.
• There was a white sheet that acted as a screen. Images from westerns were displayed. It was fun to have red, silver, and blue confetti fall down on us all. It was a party. The band started off with "Sam's town," but only played about half of it.
• The band hammered out song after song. I hadn't seen the band before, but it was great to figure out that Brandon Flowers played keyboards. The connection between his electronic keyboarding and the Pet Shop Boys remixing "Read my mind" made perfect sense to me now.
• The band didn't say a peep until the end of the show, which I found to be rather odd. Still, everyone in our area was having a fun time singing and dancing. Occasionally, the guitarist, Dave Keuning, and Brandon would stand on the wooden crates and do their thing. I had a great time there.
• There was plenty of opportunity to sing along. The brilliant line, "I've got soul but I'm not a soldier," was repeated by the crowd.
• The last song on the Sam's town CD was appropriate at the end of the second encore. I wish I had the setlist. The band did a cover, but the name of it escapes me.
• There was confetti tossed into the crowd throughout the show. I have a nice shot of the last downpour. I'm so glad I was caught in it.

  Here's the concert review from the Toronto Sun:

  Air Canada Centre, Toronto - May 7, 2007
  By Jane Stevenson - Sun Media

  TORONTO - What was the first clue at the Air Canada Centre last night that The Killers hail from Sin City?

  Could it be the glittery confeffi that rained down on the huge crowd who turned out to see the popular pop-rock outfit just as the show began?

  Or maybe it was that white screen with the words "Sam's Town" in large red letters above it onto which black and white footage of Las Vegas was projected before the band even took the stage.

  Either way, it was an incredibly dramatic opening for the group who have apparently learned a thing or two about visual showmanship since playing a stripped-down show at Kool Haus last November.

  Too bad it didn't always translate into an engaging performance.

  Playing on a stage decked out in sparkling white lights, red velvet drapes, a piano with a welcome sign, flowers -- in homage to singer-keyboardist Brandon Flowers -- and an olden wooden plank floor, The Killers kicked off the night with the title track from their 2006 sophomore album, Sam's Town.

  That was followed by such new crowd-pleasers as Interlude, When You Were Young -- later reprised as their final song of the night -- Bones and older favourites Somebody Told Me, Smile Like You Mean It and Jenny Was a Friend Of Mine, the latter three from their 2004 breakthrough disc Hot Fuss.

  But after a rousing start, the 90-minute concert took a major dip in the middle section before the new tune, Read My Mind, inspired a spirited crowd sing-and-clap-along with some noteworthy playing from guitarist Dave Keuning.

  The energy also picked up again with the huge older hit Mr. Brightside, with muscular drumming by Ronnie Vanucci, and the encore tunes For Reasons Unknown and the spectacular show-ending All These Things That I've Done, which finally featured a truly passionate Flowers on top of his piano singing the chorus, "I've got soul but I'm not a soldier!"

  Still, the band would do well to work on their pacing, not to mention Flowers his stage banter, given they had ripped through their first 10 songs in about a half-hour.

  Flowers, who was visually inspired by the Old West on the latest disc, still sports that love-it-or-hate-it moustache and western-inspired clothes right down to some mighty campy looking black and white calfskin boots.

  But he said almost nothing between songs and sometimes lost an important connection with the audience as a result.

  Only Keuning leaned towards Flowers' theatrical bent, dressed in a metallic silver jacket while, by comparison, Vanucci and Stoermer played it safe in workmanlike clothes.

  And why was the fifth touring musician playing a second guitar, keyboards and singing background largely in the shadows to the right of Vanucci's drum kit?

  Just asking.

• After the show, we walked to Timmy's. I got an iced cap. He didn't want anything. After that, we got into my car and I drove him home. It was another clear night. I went to bed at around 03:00. I don't know if my staying up till then was due to the iced cap or because I was on a high after that show.